A meteor is a bright streak of light seen briefly in the sky.  Meteors are often called shooting stars or falling stars because they look like stars falling from the sky.  Meteors result when chunks of metallic or stony matter called meteoroids enter earths atmosphere from space and they range in size from microscopic grains to pebbles.  Air friction makes the meteoroid so hot it glows and creates a trail of hot glowing gasses.  Meteoroids that reach the earth before burning up are called meteorites.  Scientists estimate that as many as 200 million visible meteors occur in earths atmosphere every day.  A meteor shower happens when the earth moves through a belt of particles in space.

On a clear very dark night you may expect to see five to ten meteors per hour. These will come from all directions and most will be faint.